About the Randall Museum

The Randall Museum is a museum of science, nature and the arts as well as a San Francisco Recreation and Park Department community learning center.

Our Mission

The mission of the Randall Museum is to inspire creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning about the world around us. To advance this mission, the museum offers an integrated program of science, nature and art to children, youth, and adults through opportunities for hands-on learning and recreation, focusing on the cultures and environments of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Josephine D. Randall, San Francisco’s first Superintendent of Recreation, was determined to establish a nature museum for children “…that would foster a love of science, natural history, and the arts.” The original “Junior Museum” opened in the City’s old jail on Ocean Avenue in 1937, and ten years later Ms. Randall shepherded a $12 million bond issue for additional recreation capital projects including a new museum. In recognition of Ms. Randall’s vision, hard work, and dedication, the new museum, which opened in 1951 on a 16-acre park overlooking San Francisco Bay, was renamed in her honor. In 2004 the outdoor areas were renovated, and in 2016 the entire interior of the museum was redesigned and revitalized to better serve its visitors.

The Randall Museum is a facility of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department (SFRPD), whose mission is to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks, and preserve the environment for the well-being of our diverse community. Learn more at www.sfrecpark.org.